Book Reviews 

Social Justice in Islam 

Deina Abdelkader 

Herndon, VA: International Institute of Islamic Thought, 
2000. 216 pages. 

107 

The dynamics of Islamic revival/activism have been the subject of renewed 

interest in the aftermath of the 9/ I I tragedy. Most of this interest has been 
confined to media sound bites that present little or no appreciation for the 
linkages between cause and effect, despite appeals by some conscientious 

commentators for balanced analysis. Deina Abdelkader's Social Justice in 
Islam, therefore, is a fresh contribution to studies on Islamic revivalism in 

its contemporary context. Even though the study covers the period from 
1988 to 1993, its examination of revivalist (or, as Abdelkader prefers, 

activist) sentiment and activities in Egypt, Algeria, and Turkey through the 
dual lens of maqasid al-Shari 'ah (aims of Shari'ah) and the legal doctrine 

of maslahah (public good) is timely, for it connects popular sentiment to 
expression. The legal convention of maslahah and the paradigm of the 

maqasid serve as baselines from which the author seeks to create a method 
to understand the revivalists' thoughts and actions, as well as the feedback 

mechanisms created by them to understand how they must function in 
future contexts. 

Abdelkader uses statistical analyses to examine the data in order to 
study the relationship between the maqasid and the levels of activism mea­
sured in each country. This lends her work credibility beyond the use of 

anecdotes, which is needed in contemporary social science research. The 
work is comprised of seven chapters followed by appendices that present 

the data collected for Egypt, Algeria, and Turkey. The chapters focus on 
theories of Islamic activism, the relationship between activism and public 

expectations, and the research methodology used. A glossary of Arabic 
tenns is included, as well as an extensive bibliography. A preface is pr<r 

vided by Taha Jabir al-Alwani. 
Abdelkader's first task is to review theories of lslamic activism/revival 

in order to provide the reader with an understanding of its real causes. She 
reviews three approaches used in the study of l slamic activism/revival: the 

modernization/economic development approach, which focuses on the 
dynamics of modernization; the popular discontent approach, which exam­

ines the sources and degree of mobilization oflslamic activism/revival; and 
the cultural studies approach, which emphasizes the customs and traditions 





Book Reviews 109 

of further research that scholars may investigate, especially in light of cur­
rent international tensions and the post-9/1 I environment. 

This is a unique and well-timed study. The book is well organized and 
clearly written, which reflects the author's clarity of purpose. It is a work 
that would be of interest to students and scholars of fslamic revival, legal 
thought, and international affairs. Its main contribution is in the connections 

it creates between popular discontent and activism through the system of 
the maqasid and the promotion of the public good. Furthermore, it gives the 
reader an indication of the mechanisms that societies use to voice their dis­
pleasure with the government's failure to promote the public's general wel­

fare in line with Islamic values. 

Sa.ijad Idris 

Master of Lnternational Affairs 

School of International and Public Affairs 

Columbia University, New York